


A False Leader

by plus_minus



Category: Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII Series, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
Genre: F/F, Implied Relationships, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-06
Updated: 2017-11-06
Packaged: 2019-01-30 03:19:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12645096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plus_minus/pseuds/plus_minus
Summary: When Fang took over Monoculus, she made an effort to hide the past. She introduced herself using her given name. Her full name was too different, plus there was no need to mention the Yun clan or Oerba. They were both gone. Right from the beginning Monoculus was convinced her goal was to obtain the holy clavis and sell it for an obscene amount of money.Put simply, the truth wasn't their business to know...





	A False Leader

A few months into her tenure as the leader of Monoculus, Fang leans against one of the tables at the little hole-in-the-wall in Ruffian. The locals simply call it “The Bar” but really, it's just some creaky tables and chairs, along with a crooked desk covered in half-empty bottles of alcohol. They'd returned from an expedition that morning. It was mildly successful; they'd found a key for one of the rooms in the north temple, which led to another passage. From this they were able to find several artifacts that would fetch a high price in Yusnaan. It’s good enough for Fang to foot the bill for the first round of everyone's drinks.

She's standing at one of the tables talking to Adonis, chatting about the details about their most recent haul. The second she hears the name "Luxerion" from two tables away she gets distracted. Fang looks over to catch a glimpse of who's talking about the miserable city. It's two of her men. She remembers that taller is Poteir, but can't remember the name of the skinnier one. She tries to maintain the conversation she's having with her senior advisor while attempting to overhear the two of them talking about the tourist landmarks and restaurants. It's not easy, as there's plenty of other chatter around her, plus a musician plucking away at guitar strings.

Adonis gives an irritated sigh. If he’s annoyed that she’s losing interest in their conversation, Fang doesn't care. She needs to know that the place is still intact. That _she's_ safe.

"Have you ever been to the cathedral?" the one whose name she doesn't remember asks. By this time Fang stops responding to Adonis completely. "I bet they have plenty of rare treasures there, you know. It's a hell of a place, stained glass and everything. The Order _has_ to be rich."

"Yeah. Speaking of treasures,” The man called Poteir guffaws. “You ever get to see the saint there? She's a hot little thing."

And with that all Fang can feel is indignation, uninfluenced by the sparse amount of alcohol in her system. _Nobody_ should be allowed to talk about Vanille like that. She strides over to Poteir and grabs the black breathing mask that hangs around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

Drops of spit from her mouth land on his cheek as she talks. "What did you say?"

"Boss I wasn't, wasn't t-t-talking about you," he stammers, stutter-stepping in an attempt to keep his back straight as she pulls him forward.

She snickers in response, amused by the idea that she would be upset by those comments being directed towards herself. If that were the case, she would have just ignored them. "Then who _were_ you talking about?"

"T-the saint in-"

"So then my ears _weren't_ deceiving me. Don't you _ever_ talk about her like that." Fang jerks Poteir's face mask towards her, then shoves him against the table. The glasses shake, but continue standing upright. Out of the corner of her eye Fang notices that a few people are staring.

"Look, scoundrel," she scoffs. "The Order may have a bunch of shit heads leading it, but you don't even deserve to mention the saint. Nobody here does. So I suggest you shut your mouth before I hang you by the balls out by the lighthouse."

She grabs her drink before she leaves for her chambers, refusing to look back. As the leader of Monoculus approaches her chambers the music and chatter fades to background noise, then to silence.

\---

By the time Fang makes it to her study she's finished the contents of her glass. In the corner of the room, underneath a stone slab, is an icebox with additional bottles of liquor. She pours herself another glass of her favorite bourbon and sits behind the desk. She props her left elbow down and runs her hand through her bangs, resting the left half of her forehead on her palm.

She wonders if her strong reaction to that conversation will be suspicious to anybody. When Fang took over Monoculus, she made an effort to hide the past. She introduced herself using her given name. Her full name was too different, plus there was no need to mention the Yun clan or Oerba. They were both gone. Right from the beginning Monoculus was convinced her goal was to obtain the holy clavis and sell it for an obscene amount of money.

Put simply, the truth wasn't their business to know; any questions aimed towards her were met with threats to that effect. None who dared to ask pressed any further.

However, that wouldn’t be the only conclusion they could make about her behavior tonight. Seeing as she's talked unabashedly about her attraction to women, maybe they'll think she feels that way towards the saint. She chuckles at that thought. ‘ _They wouldn't be wrong. Not at all.’_

But to her the saint is an abstract concept. It's Vanille she cares for. Only when she's alone does she permit herself to miss her. The feeling floods Fang all at once, a melancholy that slows down her entire body. And she gives in to it, knowing that she wasn’t enough for Vanille to want to stay alive…

Fang had thought her time in the Dunes would be short, that she could find the holy clavis quickly, destroy it, and make her way back to Luxerion. If Vanille could forgive her for preventing the Soulsong they could spend some time together before the world ended. But based on how much progress they've made these past weeks, it might take months. Years, maybe. Would she be able to find it before the Order does? Would Vanille be able to cope on her own for that long?

"Quite the display of aggression out there, Boss." She refocuses her vision to see Adonis’ tanned figure leaning against the doorway, smirking.

"Gotta let them know their place, sometimes." Her voice is more somber than she wants it to be. She picks up her glass and moves it idly, weary of his intentions but not necessarily unwelcoming of his company.

"Yeah you do, don't you, Boss? Or would you like me to call you Oerba Yun Fang?"

Her full name. She stops swirling the drink around in her hand, shocked.

How did he know her full name? She’s never said it to any of the bandits. "How did you-"

"We've had almost five hundred years, you know. Some of us have been able to learn an old Gran Pulse alphabet or two in that time. I noticed the etching on your lance the day we met.” He points to the corner, where the weapon has been sitting since her return to Ruffian several hours ago. “Couple of the others did too. I didn't want to bring anything up unless I had to, but because of that little scene tonight and something else I’m a little concerned. Are you with the Order?"

It's obvious what he wants the answer to be. From her first day with Monoculus she understood their need to be free of religious hierarchies. She respects their desire to be left alone to pillage and party until the end of the world.

To Fang, the answer to his question is obvious. She's not apart of the Order, and never wanted to be; she only ever stayed with them for Vanille's sake. But she doesn’t want to tell him about any of this right now. She might have to, though. "And what’s this ‘something else’ you’re talking about?"

"Unlike the rest of the idiots here, I've studied some of the ancient history of Gran Pulse. A little hard to find, but it’s out there. Around the time of the ancient war, The War of Transgression, people would use their home village as part of their name. "

She winces. _‘Ancient history. My childhood.’_

Adonis continues, "I've heard the rumor that there is a certain higher up within the Order that is also from that village called Oerba." Adonis takes some steps closer to the desk. He cups his chin with his thumb and forefinger before continuing. "But it’s absurd. In the old world, you know, they said Oerba was desolate for hundreds of years. Now I'm starting to wonder if that's a coincidence. You want the holy clavis, and you have a strong reaction to hearing about the saint. It just seems weird, doesn’t it?"

"And if I don’t tell you anything, what will you plan to do?" she responds. Her hands are tied at this point, but she’s not quite ready to talk yet. 

Adonis replies cooly, “Well, if you don’t, there’s going to be a problem. I’m going to have to treat you like you _are_ with the Order. It would be a bit of a shame to send you off though, considering your talents. But it would be for the best of Monoculus.”

She sighs, drumming her fingers on her desk. He’s right, Fang might be their boss for now, but the bandits of Monoculus would follow Adonis’ lead in a heartbeat.

"I understand.” Sighing again, she motions across from her. “Well then, have a seat. It's a story alright, but not a great one. I need you to keep it between the two of us."

After she fixes for him a drink of his choosing, she tells him an abbreviated version of the events of her life. About how she grew up in Oerba, some fifteen hundred years ago. How she and Vanille got tied up in the fal'Cie games and were l'Cie. Twice. After their most recent stasis in crystal, the Order took them in. To Fang’s disappointment, Vanille became the holy disciple that they wanted. She was willing to stay in Luxerion until realizing that they were tricking their “saint” into dying. After that, she knew she had to find the Holy Clavis, and destroy it to stop the Soulsong.

Still, there are things she leaves out, things the man doesn't need to know. The times she became Ragnarok and part of the crystal pillar holding up Cocoon. That she loves Vanille more than anything, and that being without her these past few months have led to some of the loneliest nights of her life.

Adonis asks a couple questions throughout, like why both times her crystal stasis was longer than the typical ten years. She doesn’t have a good answer for that one, or any of his other inquiries related to the gods. Nor did she very much care for them.

Once she finishes, she crosses her arms. "And that's really it. Right after I left Luxerion I showed up in the Dunes. We met soon after that. If you don’t believe any of this, I don’t know what else I could say to convince you. I’m not with the Order. I only need to stop Vanille from carrying out that damn Soulsong. Whether you trust me or not is up to you."

"Wow." He scratches at the nape of his neck. "I wasn’t expecting a story like that. You know, when you first told me about getting the clavis for the money, I figured you were lying. But we let it slide since I knew you were going to help us out big time. But this...I can tell when you’re being honest."

"Yeah, never was the best liar." For a brief second she’s brought back to her memories of the clearing in the Maha’bara Subterra. Silently she scolds herself for associating Vanille with lying.

Adonis drinks the last of his wine and places the goblet down. "Anyways, Boss, you have my word that this conversation will stay between us. The others will trust me when I tell them that there’s nothing to worry about. As you know, the reason why I became senior advisor is because I'm so trustworthy, persuasive, and intelligent."

She rolls her eyes. "Right."

"And the saint?” His grin dissolves. “She'll be ok. She's got you, you know. You're a force to be reckoned with, Boss."

She's not quite sure if she believes all of that, but she's flattered nonetheless. "Thank you. Adonis?"

"Yeah?"

"When it's just the two of us, no need to be formal. Call me Fang."

"Alright, Fang." He waves his hand slightly before leaving the room. "See you in the morning."

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Much thanks to my friend and beta SXM132 for the helpful suggestions while in the editing phase.


End file.
